Harrow



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. W. 8: P. D. ENGLAND.

HARROW.

Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

2 SheetsSheet 2,

(No Model.) 7

A. W. 8: F. D. ENGLAND.

HARROW.

Pat ented Mar. 2, 1897.

WifgZSSQS I wa /$7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER WV. ENGLAND AND FRANK ENGLAND, OF POSEYVILLE, INDIANA.

HARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,224, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed November 29, 1895. Serial No. 570,514. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER W. ENG- LAND and FRANK D. ENGLAND,citizens of the United States, residing at Poseyville, in the county ofPosey and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Harrow, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harroWs; and it has for its object to providea simple and effioient construction of flexible harrow that will readilyadjust itself to unevennesses of the soil, while at the same timeproviding means for thoroughlypulverizing the soil; and in theaccomplishmentof this result the invention also contemplates simple andefficient means for Weighting the harrow and for regulating the tensionthereof, whereby the degree of flexibility may be properly adjusted tosuit different conditions of ground to be pulverized.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flexible harrowconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspectiveof the self-adjusting jointed weight-frame. Fig. 4 is a detail inperspective of the fastening for each harrow-tooth. Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view illustrating the position of the tooth-fastening in eachbarrow-bar. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of a section of abarrow-bar.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates theharrow-bars, which are arranged in series in any desired number andparallel with each other to complete the main body of the harrow. Thebars l are preferably made of wood and are rectangular or square incross-section, and each of said bars has adjustably and removably fittedto one side thereof a series of pointed barrow-teeth 2. The harrow-teeth2 are also preferably rectangular in cross-section and are fitted attheir upper ends in the polygonal clamp-loops 3, formed at one end ofthe fastening-bolts 4, which are passed transversely barrow-bars.

the V-shaped grooves 8, intersecting said loop-recesses, saidloop-recesses being designed to receive the inner sides of the polygonalloops 3 when the bolts are tightened, so that one corner .of the teeth 2will be clamped tight in the grooves 8, whereby such teeth will be heldfirmly in position and be prevented from turning, and in connection withthis construction it will also be noted that the teeth can be readilyremoved and replaced at any time without disturbing the other portionsof the harrow.

The barrow-bars l have fitted thereto near each end a pair of upper andlower draft-plates 9, respectively fastened to the upper and lower sidesof the bars and provided at one end with the engaging eyes 10, disposedin reverse directions, or, in other words, the engaging eye of the upperdraft-plate of each pair of said plates projects beyond one side of thebarrow-bar and the eye of the lower draft-plate projects beyond thedirectly opposite side of the harrow-bar. The adjacent eyes of thedraft-plates-of the several harrowbars loosely receive the hookextremities 11 of the connecting-links 12 between each pair ofbarrow-bars, and which provide for flexibly connecting the several barstogether to admit of their self-adjustment to unevennesses of the soil.By reason of the reverse disposition of the upper and lower draft-plateson each harrow-bar it will be observed that each connecting-link engageswith an upper draftplate of one harrow-bar and with a lower draft-plateof the adjacent barrow-bar, thereby disposing the several harrow-barscornerwise toward the front and rear of the harrow, so that theharroW-bars will have the greatest possible play to insure their properadjustment to all conditions of the soil, and while the harrow is beingdrawn over the ground the disposition of the plates 9 provides for apull or draft on both the upper and lower sides of the harrow-bars,whichinsures steadiness in operation and the maintaining of the bars in theirproper relative positions.

The front and rear of the harrow-bars are each necessarily provided witha pair of drafteyes formed at the outer ends of the draftplates 9,having no link connection therewith, so it will therefore be obviousthat either side of the h arrow maybe used as the front thereof, so thatthe same can be readily drawn over the ground in either direction. Thesaid front and rear harrow-bars have fitted centrally on the upper sidesthereof a pair of angled bearing-plates 13, between which bearing-platesis journaled a supporting-roller14. The supporting-rollers 14:, mounted,respectively, over the front and rear harrow-bars, provide anantifriction-support for the opposite sections of the jointedtension-bar 15. The tensionbar 15 is arranged above the entire series ofharrowbars and consists of the separate alined bar-sections 16, hingedtogether at their inner ends, as at 17, by a hinge-joint, whichhinge-joint breaks in an upward direction.

The separate sections 16 of the jointed tension-bar 15 have fitted totheir outer ends the eyebolts 18, to which are loosely connected one endof the coupling-hooks 19, the other ends of which connect with theeye-plates 20, fastened on the upper sides of the front and rearharrow-bars between the plates 13 and directly under thesupportingrollers 14, mounted in said plates. The combined length of thetension-bar sections 16 is greater than the distance between the frontand rear harrow-bars, and pivotally connected at one end, as at 21, tothe upper side of one of the tension-bar sections 16, is an adjusting-lever 22. The adj usting-lever 22 lies longitudinally above thetension-bar 16 and is provided at an intermediate point on its underside with a joint-block 23, which bears 011 the bar 15 directly over theupwardly-breaking hingejoint thereof. Opposite its pivotal end the lever22 is provided with a reduced handle portion 24, which may be graspedfor steady ing the handle, and adjacent to said handle portion with abolt-opening 25, through which loosely passes an eyebolt 26, the eye ofwhich has a loose connection 27 with the upper side of the tension-barsection 16, opposite the section to which the lever 22 is connected.Above the lever 22 the bolt 26 receives thereon an adjusting-nut 28,having a crank-arm 29 for turning the same and working on top of awasher 30, interposed between the lever 22 I Normally the joint of thetension-bar is broken upwardly, so that the and the said nut.

bar-sections 16 are disposed at an angle to each other, and byunscrewing the adjustingnut 28 it will be obviousthat the outer end ofthe bar-sections 16 will be allowed to come closer together, whereby thetension of the harrow will be slackened and will permit the harrow-barsto have a greater degree of play, or, in other words, to have a greaterflexibility to adjust themselves to unevennesses of the soil. On theother hand, by screwing the nut 28 down on the bolt 26 the lever 22 willbe lowered, and the block 23 hearing on the joint 17 will tend to closesaid joint and straighten out the bar-sections 16, thereby exerting apull on the front and rear harrow-bars and tightening up the entireseries of such bars to make the same as rigid as desired, as will bewell understood by those skilled in the art.

A sufficient weight is given to the harrow by arranging on theharrow-bars under the tension device described a self adjustingweight'frame 31. The weight-frame 31 consists of the separate shallowweight-boxes 32, hinged together at their inner meeting ends, as at 33,and provided at their outer ends with a pair of short oifstandingretaining-arms 34, which embrace the pairs of bearing-plates 13 on thefront and rear harrow-bars, and thereby serve to retain the weight-frameproperly in position. The separate boxes 32 of the weight-frame may befilled with dirt or other weights to properly weight the harrow, and byreason of the hinge-joint 63 it will be obvious that the saidweight-frame will readily adjust itself to the movement of theliarrow-bars.

Changes in the form, proportion, .and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this in vention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a harrow,a series of flexibly-connected parallel harrow-barscarrying teeth, a tensionbar arranged above the entire series ofharrow-bars and flexibly connected at its opposite ends respectively tothe front and rear of the said harrow-bars, said tension-bar beingprovided at an intermediate point with a normally upwardly-brokenhinge-joint, a lever pivotally connected at one end to the tension-barat one side of its hinge-joint and bearing directly on the bar over thehingejoint, and an adjustable connection between the lever and thetension-bar at the side of the hinge-joint opposite the pivotalconnection of the lever with the bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In aharrow,a series of flexibly-connected parallel harrow-barscarrying teeth, and the front and rear of which bars are provided on theupper sides with projections, and a selfadjustiug weight-frame arrangedon top of the harrow-bars and consisting of separate shallowweight-boxes hinged together at their inner meeting ends and provided attheir outer ends with offstanding retaining-arms engaging at one side ofsaid projections, substantially as set forth.

3. In aharrow,a series of flexibly-connected harrow-bars, the front andrear of which bars carry on their upper sides supporting-rollers, atension-bar resting on said supporting-rollers and flexibly conneotedatits opposite ends respectively to said front and rear harrowbars andprovided at an intermediate point with a normally open hinge-joint, andmeans for closing the hinge-joint of said bar to straighten thesame,substantially as set forth.

4. In a harrow,a series of flexibly-connected parallel barrow-bars, atension-bar flexibly connected at its opposite ends respectively to thefront and rear of said barrow-bars and consisting of separatebar-sections hinged together at their inner meeting ends, whichhinge-joint is normally broken upwardly, an ad justing-lever arrangedabove the tensionbar and pivotally connected at one end to one of thesections thereof, said lever being provided at an intermediate pointwith a block bearing on the tension-bar over the I joint thereof, andnear the end opposite its pivoted end with a bolt-opening, a boltarranged in said bolt-opening and loosely connected with the tension-barsection immediately therebelow, and an adjusting nut mounted on saidbolt above said lever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoafixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDERv W. ENGLAND. FRANK D. ENGLAND. Witnesses:

J. L. WOODS, W. R. HILL.

